Logan Circle Prepares for ‘Little Goblin’ Takeover

Goblins hungry for candy are plotting take over Logan Circle next weekend, all in the spirit of Halloween.

The 5th Annual Little Goblins Parade will fill the streets with children with their parents on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. The crowd will begin its slow march at Logan Circle, then walk along the 1400 block of P Street NW. (Click here to view the full parade route.)

Employees from businesses along the block will hit the sidewalks and pass out candy to participants aged anywhere from 12 months to 10 years old.

Parade organizers Joelle Myers and Evelyn Boyd Simmons have planned the event together since its inception and have watched it grow every year. This year, they’re expecting a crowd of about 400, including kids, parents, grandparents and dogs.

Executing an event of this size takes the collaboration of community organizations, area businesses and key sponsors like TD Bank and Whole Foods. Volunteers and the members of the Metropolitan Police Department also help the parade run smoothly.

“This is an event that has been growing and evolving right along with the community,” Simmons said. “Our goal is to have it become institutionalized and a tradition in Logan Circle.”

One of the most significant changes made this year is that the parade route will be reversed. Marchers will gather in Logan Circle around 12:45 p.m. and end in Stead Park, where activities and live entertainment will keep the festivities going at Stead Park.

“With dance groups and music, this year we really wanted to have entertainment for kids, by kids,” Myers said. “It’s amazing to see how the community comes together, so we changed the entertainment to maintain the interest of everyone who attends.”

No matter how big the parade gets or how much it changes as the years go on, Myers and Simmons hope to keep their original purpose in mind.

“It’s a great way for kids and their families to really enjoy Halloween,” Myers added. “That’s just something we really want to continue bringing to the community and making it better and better.”

Myers said that she’s searching for five more volunteers to “wrangle” goblins, hand out candy at Whole Foods and Lululemon on P Street and generally monitor the crowd. Click here for more information on how to volunteer.